Reach-stiffener.



No. 675,l75. Patented May 28, I90l.

' W. B. STOVER.

REACH STIFFENER.

(Application filed Dec. 20, 1900.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet l.

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No. 675,175. Patented May 28, l90|.. W. B. STOVER.

REACH STIFFENER.

(Application filqsd-Dec. 20, 1900.)

(N0 Mod el.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

\VILLIAMB. STOVER, OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA.

REACH-STIFFENER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 675,175, dated May 28,1901.

Application filed December 20, 1900. $erial No. 40,602. (No model.)

To coll whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM B. STovER, a citizen of the United States,residing at South Bend, in the county ofSt. Joseph and State ofIndiana,have invented certain new and useful Improvements inReach-Stiffeners; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear,

and exact description of the invention, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same,referenoe being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures ofreference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

The invention herein described relates to improvements in vehicleconstruction,and refers particularly to means for stiffening the reachand hound construction of the front portion of the wagon.

In the usual wagon construction the reach is connected pi'v'otally tothe front axle and the front bolster by means of the king-bolt, thelatter passing directly through these parts, and in order to stiffenthis portion of the wagon two sway-bars are provided, one above and theother below the reach, each being carried by the axle. Sufficient playmust be allowed between the reach and the swaybars to prevent friction.In this construction, however, there is a pregnant disadvantage present,which results in the extremely rapid wearing of these parts, due to therubbing. When the loaded wagon is driven on a downgrade, the weight ofthe load is thrown forward. There is an immediate tendency of the frontaxle to be rotated in the wheels forwardly, with the result that thelower bar is thrown tightly against the reach, and the rubbing ensues.When the wagon is driven on an upgrade, the same effect is produced,only that the rotatory movement is backward and the upper bar is throwninto contact with the reach. This result is due, primarily, to the factthat the kingbolt connection of the wagon-body and the axle formssubstantially a lever connection, the king-bolt serving under themovement of the weight of the wagonbody to act as a lever to impart therotary movement to the axle. The passing of the king-bolt through thebolster, reach, and axle has a slight tendency to prevent this movement,but avails but little, as evidenced by the continual movement of thebars against the reach. I have found that the tendency to rotate can bepractically eliminated by forming a positive connection between thekingbolt and a fixed and immovable portion of the runninggear additionalto the reach, the connection with the kin g-bolt being at a point on thelatter intermediateits headed connection with the body and itsconnection with the reach and the axle, thus forming a positive stopagainst this rotatory movement in either direction and necessarilyholding the axle at all times in the same position relative to thereach. This connection serves to act to stiffen the reach connectionwith the axle to cause them to maintain their relative positions, andthe invention may therefore be said to reside in a reach-stiffener theprimary object of which is to maintain the relative positions of thereach and axle regardless of the load-weight direction.

Other objects are to provide a stifiener which will also serve tomaintain the bolster against a pivotal movement on the kin g-bolt,resulting in maintaining the front and rear bolsters parallel with eachother and at direct right angles with the reach.

The invention consists in the improved construction and combination ofparts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the drawings, andpointed out in the appended claim.

In the drawings, in which similar numerals of reference indicate similarparts in all of the views, Figure 1 is a top plan View of therunning-gear, showing my preferred form of stiffener in positionthereon. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the construction shown in Fig. 1.Fig. 3 is a perspective View of the front bolster, the front end of thestifiener being shown as removed therefrom. Fig. 4 is a cross-sectionalview of the bolster, axle, &c., showing the connection between theking-bolt and the stiffener. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of a running-gear with a modified form of stifiener connection. Fig. 6 is a topplan view showing another modification.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates the front axle, 2 thewagon-reach, and 3 the bolster. These may be formed in the usual or anypreferred form of construction, and each is the same in the variousforms.

4 designates the rear hounds, to the front end of which the reach isconnected by the usual bolt 5, the rear portion of'the runninggear beingof any preferred construction, it forming no part of the presentinvention.

6 and 7 designate the upper and lower swaybars, respecti\ *ely,while 8designates the kingbolt passing through the bolster, reach, and axle.

In the construction shown in Figs. 1 to 4: the bolster, which isprovided with the usual bottom plate 9, has an opening 10 extendingacross the bolster adjacent to the plate 9 and crossing the usualking-bolt opening. This opening is to receive the front flattened end 11of the stiffener 12, said end having an opening 13 for the passage ofthe king-bolt. The rear end of the stiffener is connected to the bolt 5in suitable manner. As shown, the end 11 substantially fits the opening10, and being elongated and resting between the plate 9 and the upperwall of the opening 10 forms independently of the connection of thestiffener and king-bolt a positive stop against a rocking movement ofthe bolster on the kingbolt. By this construction there is formed astiffener which serves as an auxiliary reach, in that the stiffenerconnects the king-bolt and rear portion of the running-gear; but infunction it serves to stiffen the reach by forming a fixed connectionbetween the bolt 5 to the king-bolt at a point above the reach, thusforming a double connection, both fixed as to distance, between the bolt5 and the kingbolt, each serving a check on the other and forming anextended bearing for the kingbolt. l urthcrmore, as the front end of thestiffener 12 is flattened and enlarged laterally, as shown, andsubstantially fits within the opening 10 the bolster will be preventedfrom having a pivotal movement relatively to the stiffener, thismovement being prevented by the shape of the front end of the stiffenerand the cooperating opening 11. As the stiffener retains at all times arelative position to the reach, it will be understood that the bolsterwill be held by the stiffener at substantially right angles to thereach, thereby causing the wagon-body to remain in parallelism with thereach regardless of the movement of the front axle.

In the construction shown in Fig. 5 the front end of the stiffener islocated on the upper side of the bolster, thus practically extending thebearing for the king-bolt formed by the stiffener and the reach.

In the modification shown in Fig. 6 two rods let and 15 are shownextending forward from the bolt 5 in a direction oblique to the reachand having their front ends secured directly to the bolster by suitablemeans, such as bolts or nuts secured on the front ends of the rods. Asthis construction firmly holds the bolster both from a pivotal movementon the king-bolt and a rocking movement, it provides a constructionequivalent to the other form shown, in that the bolster serves with thereach to form the extended bearing of the remaining structures, and forthis reason the reach-stiffener in this form comprises the two bars andthe bolster, combining to form the positive connection or auxiliaryreach of the remaining forms, and it is to be understood that the termauxiliary reach includes each combined structure.

The advantages have been pointed out, and

are not therefore repeated at this point, excepting that by forming theextended bearing described and the means for preventing the pivotalmovement the bolster is maintained in fixed relation to the reach, andthus prevents the load from having an effect on the king-bolt.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is In a vehiclerunning-gear, the combination with the front axle, reach, and bolster,)ivotally connected by the king-bolt, the bolster having an openingcrossing the king-bolt openings, and sway-bars located on opposite sidesof the reach, of a reach-stiffener, having a flattened front endfittingsaid opening and carried by the king-bolt, the rear end being secured toa fixed part of the running-gear, forming a rigid connection between therear portion of the gear and the bolt, the upper sway-bar being locatedbetween said reach and reach-stiffener.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

\VILLIAM B. STOVER.

Witnesses:

JAMEs DUSHANE, FRED Ross.

